The Shifters
by someonestolemyshoes49
Summary: Shifters; the vampires to top all vampires; an immortal blood-sucker with the added bonus of, you guessed it, shape-shifting. Incredibly powerful and incredibly rare. And Elena's just discovered she is one. Set straight after 3x22 - my own AU season 4. Delena (eventually). Give it a shot, read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey all! This is just a new idea I had for a multi-chapter fic. Not sure how long it'll be – depends on how much information I stick in each chapter. It will involve a few characters of my own creation - but it is an eventual Delena fic. **

**I don't want to give too much of the plot away in a summary, so you'll just have to read and find out more. And, of course, put a little faith in yours truly ;) **

**For anyone reading the Closer collection, I will still be writing the odd chapter there. But I'd like to give a proper multi-chapter fic a go. **

**Disclaimer; I own nothing. **

She didn't know where she was.

There were voices close by, whispering in harsh, hushed tones to one another; everybody was talking at once and she couldn't catch their words. Everything felt heavy, and her jaw ached angrily.

She ground her teeth together to relieve the pain.

Her tongue felt like cotton and she clacked it against the roof of her mouth, then rolled it against her gums and cheeks. They yielded nothing. Her head felt foggy and weighted, as though a thick mist was surrounding her thoughts and bogging them down. Said thoughts shifted sluggishly, blinded by whatever it was that clouded them. Slowly more senses came to her; she could smell wood, and grass, and fresh air, and behind that she could smell something distinctly mildew-y. She could taste...something foul, something that lifted a single phrase from the fog; _morning breath_.

She was lying on a hard mattress with a pillow beneath her head, and the scratchy sheets made her skin tingle unpleasantly. She shifted, rolling her shoulders away from the horrible sensation.

"Oh! She's awake!" One of the voices hissed. It was a girl's voice, and she sounded young and fresh and excitable. A memory floated into clarity at the forefront of Elena's mind, and along with it came a name.

_Caroline. _

Her eyes flew open, and slammed shut again. It was far too bright.

"Close the damn curtain." A hard, sharp voice barked. This one was male, and he sounded older. The light dimmed and Elena lifted her lids again. A sea of faces swam in her vision. None of them, though, were familiar.

"Caroline?" She tested the name on her tongue, but no reply came from within the group. They exchanged glances with one another.

"No Caroline here." A second man said. He had a smile on his face and a look of wonder in his eyes. The group gave a nervous laugh.

"And where exactly _is _here?" Elena asked. Her voice was croaky, and it occurred to her that she mustn't have spoken in a while.

"Enough chit-chat for now, love." A motherly voice spoke. It belonged to an older woman with soft red hair and bright blue eyes. Her skin was pale, and she had a smile that screamed 'friendly', and Elena felt an immediate trust. The woman moved forwards with a glass of water in hand. "Drink up. It'll clear that frog out your throat."

She had an accent that Elena couldn't place, but she guessed it was from somewhere in England. She made a mental note to ask, but not right now. The water looked far too tempting and her parched throat throbbed for relief.

"I'm Rosa." The red-head said with a smile.

"I'm Pippin!" The voice Elena had thought to be Caroline cried from the crowd. Pippin made her way forwards and kneeled beside Elena, her face shining with a smile. She shared the same unnameable accent as Rosa. Elena gave a shaky grin back.

"Pippin, dear, calm down now." Rosa scolded gently. Pippin's smile fell slightly and she gazed at Rosa with large, pretty blue eyes. There was something so familiar about those eyes, but Elena couldn't quite place it.

"Sorry, mum." She said, looking sheepish. "I've never met a new Shifter before."

"A what, sorry?" Elena asked, perplexed. She felt her own forehead dip into a frown.

"Not now, Pippin!" A young boy, about nineteen, nudged the back of Pippin's shoulder and licked his lips. She mumbled another 'sorry' and turned to glance at Elena.

"How're you feeling?" She asked, eyes wide. She had a look of such innocence about her, and Elena felt a sudden sense of endearment.

"I...I feel fine, actually. Thirsty." Her frown deepened. "Why am I here?"

"You don't remember?" It was Rosa's turn to stare, her gaze as open as Pippin's. Elena shook her head.

"I don't think so. I don't...don't really know what I'm supposed to be remembering."

"Oh, it was awful!" Pippin cried, clasping her hands in front of her chest.

"That's enough." That sharp voice rang out through the room and everyone flinched. Elena rubbed her ears and ground her teeth together. She turned to see a tall man standing in the doorway. He had thick black hair down to his shoulders, and a scratching of stubble across his jaw line. His features were strong and well defined, and he struck a chord of fear deep in Elena's gut. "She needs more rest, if she doesn't remember."

Elena looked up at him and met a third set of piercing blue eyes. It panged familiarity, and she tried floating a couple of memories and ideas to the surface, but every time she reached for something new it shrank back into the shadows.

"Lucas is right, Pippin." Rosa said gently. Then, she turned her gaze on Elena. The intensity of the blue was mesmerising. "And you, love, need to get some more rest."

Elena wanted to argue, to tell them she wasn't tired at all, but her lids felt heavy and her head dropped back to her pillow of its own volition. Rosa stood, taking Pippin with her, and the rest of the rooms' occupant shuffled towards the door. Lucas waited for them to pass, arms folded across his chest, eyes fixed on Elena's sleepy form. Her body shot into high alert, and as tired as her eyes were, something in the back of her mind told her not to sleep while _he _was watching her.

At last, with one final, narrowed glance, Lucas turned on his heel and stalked from the room, the door slamming closed behind him.

* * *

It had been a week. A week since Matt drove the truck off of Wickery Bridge. A week since Alaric dropped dead in Damon's arms. A week since Elena vanished without a trace.

They'd searched fruitlessly. They scanned every inch of the river bed, but found nothing. They scoured the surrounding woods, checked the boarding house, overturned every rock in Mystic Falls and shone light into every nook and cranny. But she wasn't there.

"She can't have just disappeared." Damon argued as he paced the length of the carpet in front of the fire. Stefan was ready to give up, but Damon wasn't prepared to let her go just yet. "She has to be _somewhere_."

"Then you keep looking." Stefan snapped, knocking back the remainder of his drink. "But I'm done."

With Elena MIA, everybody's nerves were fraught, and Stefan was saying all the right things to push all the wrong button. The next thing he knew, he was pinned with his back to the wall and a hand clamped around his throat.

"This is _all your_ fault." Damon hissed, lips drawn back in a snarl to reveal sharp, pointed teeth. "You don't get to give up."

Stefan shoved Damon away by his forearm and straightened his jacket. He glared through angry green eyes, but said nothing. He knew it would be unwise to pick an argument with an already enraged Damon.

Instead, he brushed passed his seething older brother and left the room in a blur.

Damon dropped his arms to his sides and felt his fangs retract. Anger had been getting the better of him all week, and he was struggling to keep his composure. The last thing the Mystic Falls population needed was a murderous vampire on a grief-spurred killing spree. He took a calming, cleansing breath, then grabbed the bourbon bottle from the table and stalked through the door.

It was time to pay Ric a visit.

**A/N: There's the first chapter, guys! I know nothing much happens here, but give it a chance. I've written more. There will be a plot, I promise :P **

**Leave me a review and let me know what you thought about this part!**

**I promise, this story will involve Hunters, Hybrids, Klaroline and lots of Delena! You just have to get through the first few chapters to get a bit of back story. **

**Thanks in advance. **

**Much love, **

**Someone x **


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: Thanks to everyone who's shown an interest in this story! I'm glad people are at least interested :) So, in honor of Christmas eve, I am uploading chapter two! **

**I hope you enjoy, and I hope you all have a very merry Christmas! **

**Disclaimer; I own nooothing. **

**Apologies for any spelling and/or grammar mistakes. Those of you who read Closer will know how paranoid I am about my inability to write very well. But hey, it's good enough. **

She awoke once again to find the sun in her eyes. She flinched as though it were instinctual, but the blinding light left no marks on her skin and caused her no pain. She sat up slowly.

The room was void of people now, and she could look around. It was small and square, with one window on the wall across from the bed, and a door on the far side. There were no pictures on the walls, but it was painted with soft, homely colours that offered a sense of safety and comfort.

Her stomach growled, and Elena dropped her hands to it. The thought of food made her feel sick. But she wanted something to eat, so, so badly...she just couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.

After a moment of thought, she got to her feet and moved to the window. The ground felt solid beneath her feet in a way that it never had before. And the air on her skin felt more...there, than she remembered. The tiniest breeze registered and raised goose bumps on her flesh.

Outside the window the world was glaringly bright. She could see a garden, complete with a withered vegetable patch and rusty swing set, and beyond that there was a field. And another, and another. And in the distance she could see a clump of buildings. A town, maybe? She squinted against the light but it was too much and she shrank back.

A loud buzzing reached her ears. She glanced around the room in search of a source, but found none. The noise grew in intensity and she clapped her hands over her ears.A series of angry thuds, echoing in a mismatched rhythm, filled the air on top of the humming. Her mind was spinning, there was too much going on at once and she couldn't work out where anything was coming from.

She opened her eyes and her gaze zoomed in on the window. A bluebottle fly bounced back and forth across the glass, each strike resonating in a thud that reached Elena's ears with startling clarity.

And then a memory swam into focus.

Darkness. Pressure. Water everywhere. And a boy, with sandy blonde hair and closed eyes, floating beside her in the driver's seat of a car.

"No." She whispered, clutching her head. But the memory kept coming.

Burning lungs. Her own blood pounding in her ears. Her vision pulsing at the edges. A shadow moving towards them at a frightening speed through the murky water.

She crashed across the room with her fingers clutching her hair, and her eyes squeezed shut. She hit the bed hard and knocked a glass from the bedside table. It hit smashed to floor and shattered, spraying ice cold water onto her feet.

So cold. The water was so cold, and another boy was beside her. He was fumbling with her seatbelt. _No._ _Save him, save Matt. _

Matt. The name throbbed against her temples and she shrieked. Was Matt okay? Did he make it out of the water? There was _so much water_.

The bedroom door flew open, and in an instant Pippin was screaming, too.

"What on earth is going on?" A second voice called. Rosa.

"Something's wrong with her! Something's wrong!" Pippin sounded close to tears, and Elena heard Rosa usher the young girl from the room.

"Calm down dear, calm down." Rosa soothed gently. Elena felt soft hands on her face, then on her shoulders, rubbing down her arms. Her feet felt wet, and she pulled them up onto the bed away from the horrible liquid that pressed down on her chest and spread over the floor. She was finding it hard to distinguish between her memories and the now; it was blurring into one, and she wasn't sure if it was safe to drag in a breath.

"It's alright." Rosa whispered. "It's alright, love."

And slowly, Elena began to calm down. She tried to compartmentalise, throwing her thoughts here and there and getting them away from the forefront of her mind. She needed that space clear in order to think again, to feel again. To breathe again.

Slowly, the pressure eased. She sorted it into her new 'memory' file. The dampness on her feet remained; present. She sucked in a breath, and nothing but pleasant air filtered down her throat and into her lungs.

"There, now." Rosa said, after a time. Elena opened her eyes and was met with startling blue ones, with brows creased from worry.

"I'm fine." Elena said instinctively. Rosa scoffed and began clearing something from the floor. Elena felt her cheeks heat with embarrassment, and looked over the bed. Shards of glass, covered in beads of water, glistened in the light, and Elena noticed, with no small amount of panic, that there was blood soaking the carpet.

"Don't worry about that." Rosa said, following Elena's line of sight. "You'll heal soon enough."

Elena gave her body a once over, and gasped when her gaze hit her feet. They were cut, the skin ripped and torn and bleeding all over the bed sheets.

"So," Said Rosa suddenly, eyeing Elena kindly. "I'm guessing you've remembered."

Elena nodded feebly.

"I think so." She whispered. And then, alarmed: "Matt, Is he okay?"

"Dmitri didn't mention anybody else." Rosa replied. _Dmitri? _

"Who's-."

"All in good time." Rosa cut her off gently. "Are you alright now?"

Elena nodded, but she felt sick and uneasy. There was something she needed to ask, but she wasn't sure she could bring herself to speak the words out loud. She was far too afraid of the answer.

"I'll send Dmitri up, he'll tell you what he knows."

Elena nodded, and Rosa patted her thigh and stood, leaving the room. Elena was alone for a few minutes before the boy who'd spoken to Pippin the night prior came in, eyes apprehensive. He was tall and slim, and very, very blonde. Elena smiled softly to him when he stepped inside, and he returned it. He seemed shy, and looked just as uneasy as she felt.

"Hi." He said awkwardly, shuffling his feet against the carpet.

"Hi." Elena returned. She wasn't entirely sure what he was here to tell her.

"I'm Dmitri." He said suddenly, holding out a hand. Elena took it and shook, replying;

"Elena. Pleased to meet you."

Dmitri nodded his reply. He had a gentle southern accent, but the same bright blue eyes as Pippin, Rosa and Lucas. Elena allowed herself a moment of pride at remembering her host's names.

"Rosa said you had some things to tell me." Elena began. It wasn't entirely true, but it was a conversation starter nonetheless. Dmitri nodded and moved a chair nearer the bed. He eyed the dirty floor and Elena's bloody feet, and frowned, but asked no questions.

"Okay." He said, swallowing. His hands fumbled with one another in his lap and he licked his lips. Elena assumed it was a nervous tick. "I suppose you want to know how you got here."

"I'd like to know where 'here' is." Elena blurted out, and Dmitri's mouth gaped for a moment as he stumbled over his words.

"Right." He said, and averted his gaze, as though he'd said something monumentally stupid. Elena felt guilt seep into her down to the bone.

"I'm sorry." Elena said immediately. "Just keep going." She offered him a gentle smile to reassure him, and he nodded furiously. He licked his lips again, then rubbed his palms across his trousers. Elena's jaw began to ache, as though she were a teething child, and she gritted her teeth to relieve it.

"Sorry." He said quietly, shakily, "I'm not...not all that good with new people."

"It's okay." Elena replied. Again, Dmitri nodded.

"I brought you here." He said after a moment. Elena raised her brows and encouraged him to go on. "I...I saw your truck go over the bridge. I thought...I thought you were Katherine. That's why I went in to get you. We have some...issues, with Katherine, that were never quite resolved."

Elena hid a smile. That didn't surprise her at all.

"By the time I got to the truck you were alone, and your eyes were closed and you weren't breathing. I took you out anyways, and into the woods nearby."

He swallowed hard and licked his lips.

"You were dead." He said simply, then gaped again as though he'd said something very wrong. "Sorry, that was...insensitive."

Elena chuckled softly at him, and told him to continue.

"I was going to leave you there, let your friends find you, but then you...you woke up. And I knew what had happened."

"What had happened?" Elena asked uncertainly.

"You...you must have died with vampire blood in your system." He replied, confused, as though it were the simplest answer in the world. Elena's eyes widened.

"But I didn't ingest any." She said. "Unless...oh, Meredith." Elena dropped her head to her hands and took a couple of breaths. "But why?" She mumbled to herself. Dmitri watched her with a frown, no doubt wondering who Meredith was. Elena herself was surprised at how easily the name came to her.

"So I'm in transition?" She said, suddenly. Dmitri paled, and his look shifted to sheepish.

"Not exactly." He mumbled. Elena frowned.

"What do you mean?" She asked. Dmitri kept his gaze low, and muttered;

"I fed you human blood."

Elena felt the world shrink around her. _No, no, no no no. _

"I'm sorry." Dmitri said immediately, panicked, "You asked me to!"

"Why am I here?" She asked, her voice calm and angry. Dmitri winced, but answered her question.

"I had to bring you here. You're a Shifter, aren't many of those around now. Except us."

Elena frowned, but she was too angry to discuss anything more with him. She was a vampire. She'd turned into the one thing she swore she'd never be, and she wasn't sure how lightly she could take the news.

"Can I speak to Rosa, please?" She asked. She'd had enough of Dmitri for one day. He nodded again, licked his lips, and hurried from the room.

* * *

"What exactly is a...what do you call it? A Shifter?" Elena had calmed down, by now, anger melting into bitter acceptance. And curiosity. She wanted to know what the hell was going on.

"A Shifter is a special type of vampire that can, as the name suggests, shape-shift. Into animals, exclusively."

"Any animal?" Elena asked, eyes wide. Had she not spent her later teenage years immersed in a world of vampires, werewolves, hybrids and witches, she would have laughed in Rosa's face at the mere suggestion. But, as it stands, Elena couldn't even bring herself to be surprised.

Rosa nodded, smiling.

"I've never heard of them." Elena muttered under her breath, thinking aloud.

"We're very rare." Rosa supplied. "We used to be around in our hundreds. Now we're...we're pretty much all that's left."

Elena found herself asking what had happened to the rest before she could sensor the question.

"Most of us were wiped out a long time ago. I'm not surprised, really. We're powerful. More so than your average vampire. We're stronger, and faster, and," Rosa grinned a somewhat cheeky smile, "We can change shape. We can camouflage."

Elena nodded, not really sure what to say to that.

"How were you wiped out, if you're so powerful?" She asked finally.

"We were hunted." She said simply. "We were hunted down and killed. Everything wanted us dead, not just humans. Other vampires, too. And Werewolves. Witches. Everyone. Its perhaps one of the only periods in history where they've all worked together."

Elena swallowed hard.

"Do they still hunt you now?"

Rosa shook her head. She turned her gaze to look outside, smiling at the sunlight on her face.

"No." She breathed. "No, we're safe here."

Elena took a moment to let the information sink in. Not only was she a vampire, she was a Shifter. One of the most powerful vampires in existence. Except, perhaps, the Originals. She wasn't sure if this was a lucky stroke or not. Two thoughts came to mind at once, and she muddled over her words as her mind mixed the questions together. Finally, she articulated them into two simple questions.

"Why haven't I burned in the sun?"

"Daylight rings." Rosa said, wiggling her left hand for Elena to see. Elena dropped her gaze to her own fingers and spotted a silver ring with a blue jewel set in, almost identical to the one Rosa wore.

"Fair enough." She mumbled. Then, leaning forwards with her elbows on her knees, she asked, "How do you know I'm a Shifter?"

"The eyes." Rosa said simply. Elena frowned, and Rosa continued. "Dmitri said that when you woke up, your eyes were brown. And when he fed you, your eyes turned...well, the colour they are now."

"Blue." Elena said, suddenly. She hadn't seen her reflection, but it made sense. Everybody in this household, she realised, had the same bright, mesmerizingly blue eyes.

And then another memory hit her.

A man. A young man; full of sarcastic remarks; with a shock of soft, dark hair; a dazzling, sinners smile; and a pair of startling, crystal blue eyes.

_Damon. _

**A/N: There you have it! Chapter 2. I hope you enjoyed it, again I know not much happened, but it was longer than the last one at least :P **

**Drop me a review and let me know what you thought! **

**Thanks in advance, and once again, Merry Christmas! **

**Much love, **

**Someone x**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I'm amazed at the amount of follows this story already has :') Thank you so much guys! And thanks for the reviews and favourites, too! **

**Here's chapter three. This is the first time Elena shifts, and the first Delena interaction of the story. Also, I change Connor a little (because he's still in this). He's not one of the Five or anything like that, he's just another Vampire Vampire Hunter, like Mikael, or Alaric before he died. **

**Hope it's okay! **

**Disclaimer; I own nothing. **

**Apologies for any spelling and/or grammar mistakes.**

* * *

It took him until he pulled up outside the Gilbert house to remember that Alaric wouldn't be there. He sighed heavily and took a swig from his bottle. After a moment's reflection on the ethical ramifications of drunk-driving, and about how little he cared, Damon propped his bottle on the passenger seat, restarted the engine, and pulled back onto the road.

Next stop; grave yard.

* * *

It had been a month since she'd found out what she was, and Rosa had been working hard to teach her how to use her new-found powers to their full potential.

Elena had, thus far, mastered the art of snatch-eat-erase, and bloodlust hadn't proved too much of an issue. Rosa had done well on that front.

Shifting, though, was proving a problem.

"It's all in the mind, Elena." Rosa sighed. The pair stood in a clearing in a forest, surrounded by thick trees and covered by a canopy of webbed and interlinked branches. Rays of sun peaked through gaps in the weaving here and there, dappling the leaf-littered forest floor. Pippin perched on a branch, hands under her thighs and legs crossed at the ankle. She watched the scene before her with wide, glittering eyes and a matching smile.

Elena slapped her hands against her sides in exasperation.

"We've been at this for weeks, Rosa. It's not happening." She crossed her arms, petulant. Rosa hung her head. Pippin giggled.

"Come on, Lena." Pippin said, lifting her feet onto the branch and standing. "It's not hard. Just...just think about what you want to turn to, and...do it."

And, with a push off the branch, Pippin leaped from the tree and disappeared into a thick, wispy cloud of black smoke, reforming and emerging as a kestrel, swooping to the other side of the clearing and landing gracefully in another tree. The bird looked down at Elena with piercing blue eyes.

"You make it look so easy." Elena grumbled sadly, turning her own baby blue's on Rosa.

"That's because it _is_, love." She said gently. "It just takes some practice."

Elena worried her bottom lip between her teeth.

"Rosa," She said, wary, "does it...does it hurt?"

"Does what hurt?" Rosa asked. She walked over to Elena and laid a motherly hand on her arm. Pippin swooped down from the tree line and shifted back, a soft _whoosh_ filling the silence as she disappeared into a smoky mass and reappeared as Pippin.

"Turning. Shifting. Changing. Whatever you wanna call it."

Rosa and Pippin grinned at each other.

"What makes you think that?" Pippin asked. Her accent, still unidentifiable, was homely and reassuring. Elena had yet to ask where the pair came from.

"It's just...I have this friend, and he's a...he's a werewolf. Or was. It's complicated. Anyway, when he turned, it was agony. He dreaded every full moon, because the pain was unbearable. I...I don't want it to be like that."

"It's nothing like that." Pippin said blandly, as though it were the stupidest thing to worry about. "It's a completely different principle."

"Elaborate, please." Elena deadpanned.

"When we shift, we...oh, I can't think of the right word." Rosa said, frowning.

"We change state, first." Pippin said. "We materialise, into a kind of smoke, or fog, or whatever, and then we reform into the shape we want to become. None of that bone-breaking mess that werewolves have."

"Is that what's stopping you shifting?" A voice said from the edge of the clearing. A boy, tall and tan with short, spiky brown hair and an Australian accent stood with his arms folded, shoulder-leaning against the thick trunk of a tree.

"Good afternoon, Nathaniel." Elena said softly. Nathaniel flashed brilliant white teeth her way and pounced into the clearing. His smoke cloud landed in wolf form, head raised to the sky in a howl. Pippin smacked his haunches angrily, and he wisped back into his human shape, vampire fangs extended.

"Shut up!" Pippin hissed.

"She's right, Nate." Rosa said. "We don't want anybody coming out here, and that's only going to attract attention."

Nathaniel rolled his eyes but relaxed his face, iris's returning to their usual blue. He turned his gaze on Elena. She shivered; Nathaniel, while nice, had a mean streak and a temper, and those traits did not go well together.

"I'm going to go fetch Lucas, maybe he can help." Rosa said, patting Elena's arm and hurrying from the clearing. Nathaniel stalked towards Elena with a predatory glint in his eye.

"Get lost, Nate." Pippin snapped from behind him. Pippin was a pleasant girl, but her hatred of Nathaniel extended far beyond Elena's understanding. Nathaniel rounded on her, lips drawn back in a snarl.

"Or what?" He hissed. Elena backed towards the trees.

Elena wasn't sure what happened next, but by the time her mind caught up with what her eyes were seeing, fangs were clashing against snarling snouts, and whines, growls and cries reverberated through the clearing. The pair skittered across the floor, gnashing their teeth at one another. Heavy paws battered at the others faces. They faced each other off, standing at opposite ends of the empty space. Nathaniel, in his larger, jet black wolf form, growled angrily and snapped his teeth, while Pippin stood with lips drawn back and hackles raised, brown-red fur standing on end.

"Stop it." Elena said, but her voice was feeble. The pair were circling now, emanating low rumbles from deep in their throats. Nathaniel snorted, spitting bloody saliva across the floor. Pippin let out a sound akin to a roar, and pounced. Nathaniel leapt into the air, too, and caught her chest with his front paws, pinning her to the floor and snapping at her exposed throat with his teeth. She scrambled, and whined, but he didn't relent, pulling clumps of bloody fur away with his teeth.

Elena shouted again, trying in vain to get through to him, and hoping that all the noise would draw Rosa back. When neither of her predicted events took place, she growled and closed her eyes.

Her mind was full; sounds, smells, images, memories. She pushed them all to the side, darkening her mind and leaving that space at the front clear for thought. She did as she'd been told countless times; relax, and think. She let her arms fall at her sides, let her shoulders rest, and concentrated on the animal she wanted to shift into – a wolf. Her body melted pleasantly, and she opened her eyes.

She was still her. Still there, standing, watching Nathaniel rip Pippin to shreds. She'd moved him, now, but he was still nipping angry at her flanks, spitting fur from between his teeth. Elena closed her eyes and tried again. And again. Nobody else was coming to the rescue, and she was useless.

_Come on, Elena, _she thought angrily. Once again, she closed her eyes and cleared her mind.

_Wolf. _

The ground fell out from beneath her feet, and for the shortest time, she could see everything; every point in the clearing was visible. In front, behind, above, below, to the left, to the right. Everything. And she could hear everything, too, sound hitting her from all angles. A _whoosh_ sounded, and everything returned to its usual clarity.

She was on all fours, heavy brown paws padding the forest floor as she lunged for Nathaniel. She pounced and struck him on his side, the blow strong enough to send him flying against the tree trunks. Elena let out a snarl and pulled her lips back, revealing sharp white teeth. Nathaniel stopped snarling and stood up straight, then disappeared into a cloud of thick black smoke and reappeared as Nathaniel.

"Impressive." He said, panting. His body was free of cuts and bruises, and it surprised Elena, but then she remembered what Pippin had said. When they shift, they completely reform. Super speed healing, even for a vampire.

A whoop sounded from behind her and she turned to see Pippin on her feet, pale and shaky, but in one piece. She was grinning from ear to ear.

Elena concentrated again, but shifting back seemed to take very little effort at all.

"You did it!" Pippin cried, skipping to Elena and pulling her into a hug.

"Well done." Nathaniel quipped from behind her. Elena turned on her heel and glared.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

Nathaniel's smile fell and he scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. He opened his mouth to speak, but his words were drowned out by a familiar bellow from behind them. All three flinched.

"What the _hell_ is going on here?"

Lucas.

* * *

'Trouble' was an understatement.

The supernatural population in Mystic Falls was doomed. Another Mikael had made an appearance, and this one was doing a much better job than the last. Six dead hybrids, one dead original. Lucky for some, Kol hadn't sired their line.

Klaus had planned an attack three nights ago. It was foolproof, but Connor had been one step ahead the whole time. And Tyler had paid the price.

Damon took a swig of bourbon from the bottle, wincing at the burn and lowering it back into his lap.

"Three years." He sighed heavily, eyes trained on the block of stone before him. "Three years, Ric."

The headstone gave no reply. No surprises there.

"She's still not back, you know. Stefan gave up a long time ago. You should see him now, all...gal-pally with Barbie Klaus." Another swig, another wince. "Who, incidentally, is throwing her own pity-party, dead baby bro and all."

Still nothing form the headstone.

"Three years." Damon whispered, eyes downcast. He missed her, every day. He missed Alaric, too, but he was a lot easier to miss, because he was right here. Right beneath Damon's feet. And it was a comfort to know that. Elena, though...

Elena hadn't been seen in years, and not knowing made it a lot harder to grieve.

He opened his mouth to voice that exact thought, when a soft sound, a whoosh, like wind blowing passed your ear, caught his attention. He froze, ears on the alert. A twig snapped to his right. Alert to the possibility of the hunter, Damon readied his muscles to run. Then, out of the tree line, stepped a cat. A small, dark cat. It worked its way between the grave stones and over to Damon, rubbing its head against his leg. He frowned. Since when are animals so friendly to vampires?

The cat mewled softly and turned big blue eyes up at him. He stared. It purred and hopped onto his lap, nudging his hand with its nose. He scratched behind its ear tentatively. _What?_

And then it moved, leaping from his lap, and trotting towards the trees again. Damon watched it with curiosity. It paused and turned its head back, meowing loudly. It waited.

Damon downed the last of his drink and stood, advancing on the unwitting animal with a predatory gaze. The cat, though, seemed unphased, and walked swiftly through the trees. Damon stopped, and so did the cat, waiting for him to catch up.

_What the hell, _he thought, following the animal deeper into the forest.

They emerged in the garden to the Gilbert house, and the cat sat down, looking up at Damon. He glanced down at it, frowning. It turned its gaze to the window of the house, and Damon's eyes followed.

Through the glass he could see an assortment of people; Jeremy, Bonnie, Caroline, Klaus, Rebekah, Stefan, Matt, Elijah. Tear tracks were visible on a lot of the faces.

"Three years." He whispered again, "To the day. How did..."

He looked back down at the cat, but it had vanished, and he was standing alone in the garden to the Gilbert house. He puffed air out of his cheeks, swallowed hard, then made his way up the porch stepped, knocking on the door.

* * *

Elena crouched low in the bushes, thorns and twigs scratching against exposed skin. The moon lit the sky, providing what little light Elena needed to see through the darkness.

She watched with wide blue eyes and a tear on her cheek as Jeremy opened the front door, greeting Damon as an old friend and stepping aside, letting him into the Gilbert house.

**A/N: There we have it! Chapter 3, done and dusted. **

**Hope you enjoyed, please please please review and let me know what you think! **

**Thanks in advance. **

**Much love, **

**Someone x **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Hey guys. Okay, first off, I'm so sorry it's taken me so long to update this. I got caught up in doing Call Day, and then school pressures started picking up, and there was just no time. Now I'm working nights to get money for Uni and things. There still is no time, which is why – sadly – this is the last update I'll be doing before taking a break from this story. I don't know how long said break will be, but I literally have a million other things to do and I've forgotten what my plan was for this; I need a break to rethink the plot and write it up. **

**This update is really tiny, but it's something new, which is always a bonus. **

**Again, I'm really sorry. **

**Disclaimer; none of it belongs to me. **

**Apologies for any spelling and/or grammar mistakes. **

"Where've you been?" A voice goaded in Elena's ear as she clambered in through the window.

"Sshhh!" She hissed back, sliding the window closed and locking it tight. She rolled her shoulders and dropped down onto her bed. Opposite her, Pippin sat with crossed legs and a wide smile, flashing white teeth in Elena's direction.

"Oh come on," Pippin whispered back, red ringlets bouncing on her shoulders, "I've been covering you for years. Tell me."

Elena narrowed her eyes at Pippin.

"What, you gonna tell Lucas if I don't?"

Pippin drew her lips to one side and frowned in thought, then nodded excitedly, a mischievous glint in her eyes. Elena raised her brows.

"You wouldn't dare." She challenged. Pippin drew in a deep breath and opened her mouth as though to shout, and Elena, while ninety-nine per cent certain that Pippin was bluffing, held up her hands in surrender nonetheless.

"Alright, alright." She said through gritted teeth. "Fine."

Pippin let out an excited squeal and leapt across onto Elena's bed. Legs crossed once more, she looked to Elena expectantly.

Elena rubbed tired eyes with her hands, then sighed.

"I've been in Mystic Falls."

Pippin's eyes widened.

"Every time you've left?" She asked. Elena nodded. "Why?"

"I needed to keep an eye on everybody, Pip. I needed to make sure everyone is okay."

"Lucas will kill you!" Pippin hissed, her expression, for once, reflecting the seriousness of the situation. Elena was fully aware of how Lucas would react, which is exactly why she'd been sneaking out.

Over the first few months with Rosa, Elena had learned a few fun facts about Shifters. They, like werewolves, gathered in packs. It was a 'safety in numbers' deal, she'd been told. And it was the worst kind of crime to abandon your pack. Lucas, of course, could come and go as he pleased; he was the alpha, and there was nobody who would dare to challenge his authority. Elena learned the hard way that punishment followed disobedience.

"_What the hell is going on here?" _

_The voice boomed out across the clearing. Nathaniel and Pippin cowered under its strength, and Elena, sensing their discomfort, shrank back to stand in line with them. She mirrored their positions; heads bowed, eyes trained on the floor. _

"_I asked you, what is going on?" Lucas barked. To her left, Pippin flinched._

"_Nothing, sir." Nathaniel replied quietly. Elena had never seen him so put-down. _

"_Wrong answer." Lucas snarled, slapping the boy across the face. Nathaniel winced, but said nothing. Claw marks in the flesh oozed blood down his cheek. _

"_Pippin?" He snapped. She remained silent. Lucas brought his hand down against her cheek, too, a resounding snap echoing through the clearing. _

"_Hey!" Elena cried out before she could stop herself, moving to stand between Pippin and Lucas. He turned steely eyes on her. Never before had she associated that beautiful shade of blue with such fear. _

"_Do you have something to add, Miss Gilbert?" He asked, voice deadly calm. Rosa, Pippin and Nathaniel were wide-eyed, willing her to say no, to fall back in line. _

"_That's hardly fair." She said, gesturing to Pippin and Nathaniel. Lucas's nostrils flared. He took a step closer, invading Elena's personal space. _

"_Stand down." Pippin hissed at Elena. Elena ignored her. _

"_So they argued. Everybody has...disagreements now and then. It's hardly a crime to-." _

_She was cut off by a body throwing her to the floor. Lucas pinned her to the ground with a knee to the abdomen, slamming her back to the ground. _

"_Are you challenging me?" He roared, blood pooling in his eyes. Elena struggled to free her hands and found herself moving again. Splitting pain shafted through her stomach and when the movement stopped, she looked down to find a splintered branch shanked in her torso. She gasped for breath through the pain. Lucas lowered his head and caught her gaze. _

"_Think before you speak next time." He hissed, then let her go, leaving her to sink to the floor at the base of the tree, fists curled around the branch. She lacked the strength to pull it out, too shocked at Lucas's behaviour. He bestowed a similar, though less bloody, punishment on Pippin and Nathaniel. _

_When he'd left, Rosa ran to Elena and pulled the branch away, fishing splinters from the wound and leaving it to heal. _

"_What the hell is his problem?" Elena growled, pushing herself to her feet. The gaping hole in her torso was already healing, the skin knitting itself shut before her eyes. _

And then Rosa had told her about pack hierarchy, and that challenging the alpha was a very, _very_ bad idea.

"You need to be more careful, 'Lena." Pippin scolded. "You started off on the wrong foot with him. The last thing you want to do is test him."

"I know, I know." She said, and it was true, she did know. "But I didn't ask for this, Pip. I didn't want to be a part of this."

At that, Pippin's eyes widened and flooded with tears, and Elena doubled back on her words.

"No – I love you all, don't get me wrong. I'm so glad I met you, I can't imagine not having you, all of you, in my life. And there will always be a place for you in it. But...I need to be at home. And my home is Mystic Falls."

"Home is family." Pippin reasoned, teary, wiping her cheek. "We're your family."

Elena sighed and rubbed her eyes.

"I know you are." Elena said softly, wrapping an arm around her. "But I have family in Mystic Falls, too. And I miss them. Every day. And it's my responsibility to make sure they're safe."

"And are they?" Pippin asked. Elena shook her head.

"There's a Hunter in town. He's picking off the hybrids one by one, including one of my friends."

Pippin's eyes widened further still.

"A Hunter? Like...Mikael Hunter?"

Apparently 'Mikael' was a well-known name in the supernatural universe. According to Dmitri, Mikael had been the one to instigate the pick-off of the Shifters, and he'd done a damn good job.

I nodded.

"You need to tell Lucas." Pippin said, standing.

"What?"

"He needs to know. This Hunter is a danger to us, Elena. If he finds us, he will kill us all."

**A/N: So, that's it for a while. I can't say I'm sorry enough times. I promise, as soon as I've got everything sorted out, I'll start writing again. **

**Thanks, and much love, **

**Someone x **


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